In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3 begins, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven…” It then goes on to share an extensive list of life experiences that may come and go; “A time to weep and a time to laugh; … A time to plant and a time to uproot…”. I’ve often hear it read at more serious life events like funerals.
I often wonder how these verses strike those who aren’t involved in agriculture. Ag naturally comes with an ebb and flow between seasons and times. We are directly impacted by the changing temperatures and precipitation Mother Nature throws our way, we plant and we harvest, things grow and die. And right now before things get really hectic as we gear up for harvest, weaning, and fall is the season for field days.
Providing a snapshot of a growing crop while avoiding the bustle of harvest leaves a small window of opportunity to work with for those wanting to provide educational outreach to producers. That’s why late July and early August may seem packed with events to attend sharing the latest and greatest in ag production. We in extension are no different.
Field days offer an opportunity not only to learn from those presenting but also to make some connections and interact with fellow attendees. I know everyone has a busy schedule and fitting extra time in to attend an educational event may not be at the top of the list, but I’ve found that the connections made and bits of new information gained usually make the trip worth while if the topic is one I’m interested in. Here are a few local field day options you might find of interest:
August 3 from 9 AM to 3 PM, the Haskell Ag Lab will be holding their annual Science and Ag Family Field Day. Haskell is located just east of Concord, Ne along the 26B spur. This event has activities for all members of the family along with presentations and farm tours.
August 4 Nebraska Extension and SDSU Extension will host the 2022 Forage Field Day at Haskell Ag Lab from 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Speakers will discuss alternative forage crops, nitrogen management, silage harvest management and silage cover demonstration. Visit go.unl.edu/2022foragefieldday for more information.
August 9th and 10th the annual Nebraska Grazing Conference will be held at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, NE. Kicking off with a tour at 9:30 AM on the 9th the meeting itself begins at 12:00 and ends at noon on the 10th. Grassland conservation, invasive species control, grazing management, and wildlife management are conference focuses this year. More specific info on the conference is available on the website of the Center for Grassland Studies at: http://www.grassland.unl.edu under the News & Events tab.
Row Crop producers may want to check out Soybean Management Field Days, August 12th at Method Farms, near Decatur or the Midwest Corn Production Clinic at the University of Nebraska Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) south of Mead on August 23rd. For both events, visit https://enrec.unl.edu/crop for more information. More organically minded producers may consider attending the 2022 Nebraska Flame Weeding Workshop on August 17th at ENREEC. Visit agronomy.unl.edu/flame-weeding-workshop for more details. Finally, though a bit of a drive, livestock producers may consider attending the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory open house north of Whitman on August 24th from 8 AM to 3:30 PM.
-Ben Beckman is a beef systems Extension Educator serving the counties of Antelope, Cedar, Knox, Madison, and Pierce. He is based out of the Cedar County Extension office in Hartington. You can reach him by phone: (402) 254-6821 or email: ben.beckman@unl.edu.